On October 26, 2026, Neil Young sued Trump 47 Committee, Inc., a Trump political committee, not Trump personally, for copyright infringement in federal court in Richmond, Virginia (Young v. Trump 47 Committee, Inc., 3:26-cv-01398). The complaint alleges that the committee, which it says organized and financed an October 12 rally in Youngstown, Ohio, played “Rockin' in the Free World” just before Trump took the stage, without a license, and “has caused the Song to be played numerous times at other rallies.” Young seeks $10 million and an order barring the committee from playing any of his songs.
It is his second suit over the song. According to the complaint, Young sued Trump's 2020 campaign corporation, Donald J. Trump For President, Inc., which “asserted no defense and immediately settled shortly after it was served, promising that it would never again use Rockin' in the Free World without a license and permission from Young.” The complaint alleges that Trump personally knew a license was required. Young wrote in 2018 that he first asked Trump to stop using his songs in 2015, The Hill reported.
The complaint calls the song “the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for” and claims damage to Young's “reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way.” The committee did not respond to Courthouse News, and the Guardian reported no response from the administration. These are allegations; the court, where Judge Robert Payne has the case, has not ruled.